Trivino Pleads Guilty to Assault and Battery, Trespassing

Former hockey star receives two years of probation

Former BU hockey star Corey Trivino (MET’12) (right) pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery and one count of trespassing yesterday in Brighton District Court and will serve two years of probation. Photo courtesy of Josh Reynolds for the Boston Globe/Pool

Former BU hockey star Corey Trivino pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery and one count of trespassing yesterday in Brighton District Court, nearly eight months after University police arrested him for entering the dorm room of a female student and groping her against her will.

With his guilty plea, Trivino (MET’12) received two years of probation and agreed to random alcohol testing, attendance at weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, a psychiatric evaluation, and continuation of an alcohol treatment program he’s currently enrolled in near Toronto, Canada—his hometown.

Dressed in a black suit and purple shirt, Trivino stared straight ahead throughout the court proceeding and later stood to apologize to the victim, sitting three rows behind him surrounded by a group of family and friends. “I just wanted you to know that I’m really, truly sorry,” he told her, never turning his gaze toward the young woman.

Trivino originally faced seven charges, but prosecutors dropped the most serious felony, assault with intent to commit rape, in March and yesterday decided not to pursue three of the charges, two counts of breaking and entering and one count of indecent assault and battery. The three remaining charges were reduced to lesser felonies.

According to Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Gloriann Moroney, Trivino was “highly intoxicated” the night of December 11, 2011, when he followed the victim to her dorm room and entered without her consent. While there, he repeatedly fondled her against her will, at one point closing the door, and failed to leave when she asked him to.

The months since that night have been filled with multiple court appearances for Trivino, who has been accompanied on each occasion by his mother and father. Yesterday they were joined by rows of family and friends.

At her own request, the victim stood before the court and read aloud a prepared victim impact statement that lasted several minutes—not once making eye contact with Trivino, who appeared emotionless as she spoke.

“This experience has affected every ounce of my being,” she said, and because of it “my entire world fell apart.” She described the nightmares she’s experienced, counseling she’s received, friends lost, and her relationship with her now-estranged sister, as well as missed hours of school and work and other financial burdens she encountered as a direct result of Trivino’s actions. Her voice shook with emotion as she told of her inability to look men directly in the eye anymore, and when she added, “I think I see Corey all the time when I’m in this city.”

The victim asked Judge Patricia Bernstein to issue a decision that would “put a price on the pain and suffering I’ve experienced.” And she said that while yesterday meant an end to months of legal proceedings, “unfortunately for me there is no ending because the mind does not forget. I did nothing wrong to bring this situation on myself.”

Trivino’s attorney, Conrad J. Bletzer, Jr., said his client has since enrolled in an alcohol treatment program and has undergone a full psychiatric assessment. The hockey player also completed volunteer service and has given talks at local high schools about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Bletzer originally requested that Trivino be granted unsupervised probation for the first two months, considering that he would be traveling in late August to a National Hockey League training camp and could be drafted by an NHL team in early October. Bletzer said his client could fulfill the terms of the probation by mail and phone and have the NHL conduct alcohol tests and forward them to the probation department during that period.

Trivino had been drafted by the New York Islanders in 2008, but the team chose not to invite him to its training camp, according to a report on Twitter from Newsday’s Islanders reporter Arthur Staple. The Islanders did not return calls for comment.

Bernstein refused Bletzer’s request, saying, “There are some sketchy details here.” She acknowledged Trivino’s career aspirations, but said, “He also has an obligation here in this court to probation.” She then issued her decision: Trivino must report to Brighton District Court for probation within the next 45 days, submit to weekly alcohol tests, and make weekly calls to his probation officer. As the former Terrier center agreed, behind him his mother suppressed sobs.

Outside the courtroom after the proceedings, Bletzer would say only, “I don’t feel he had special treatment.”

In early June, prosecutors dropped rape charges against Trivino’s former teammate Max Nicastro (CGS’11, MET’13), who had been arrested last February in an incident involving a female student.

The charges against the two men led President Robert A. Brown to name a task force to investigate the culture of the men’s hockey team. The task force is to report later this summer.

What a coward. He couldn’t even apologize and look her in the eye or even give her the courtesy to look at her during her victim statement? He plead guilty for self serving reasons, not for remorse. Prayers for this brave young lady.

We cannot know why they did not make eye contact during this process. Perhaps, the young man’s counsel encouraged him to not do so given how traumatized the victim is. This is only one reason; I am sure everyone reading this article could come up with dozens.

This made me cry. My heart goes out to the victim. Good for you for being so brave and to make a victim statement in court like that. That is SO brave and so inspirational, but must have been a terrifying experience. No one can put a price on your suffering.

It’s unfortunate Trivino didn’t get a more severe sentence, but considering how these trials usually go (where the perp is found not guilty), at least he got something that will remind him of the err of his actions.

The punishment is equivalent to the crime. Do you propose to destroy this young man’s life because of a drunken mistake? My sympathies for the victim, but in a case of trespassing and assault do not expect a reasonable judge to send a young adult to prison. It is, however, just right that he should be monitored and kept under watch.

Mo don’t presume to know what Trivino is thinking, that’s all I’ll say on the matter.

I look forward to seeing the task force report at the end of this summer. BU has taken the right steps to making things right.

Seriously? After everything that has happened at BU this year and there are still people who think like this?

Assault, groping, or trespassing can ruin ANYONE’s life. Have you ever heard of PTSD? Who are you to tell the assault survivor that what she experienced isn’t traumatizing?

You “missed the part” where those things could destroy a woman’s (or anyone’s) life because you’re not paying attention and it hasn’t happened to you. Trivino ruined his own life when he forcibly entered the woman’s room and assaulted her. It’s no one’s fault but his own.

Where did I say that the victim did not suffer from a traumatic experience? Do not put words in my mouth. I did say that it would not “destroy” her life. I am not trivializing her suffering – she was the victim of an unfair and painful crime. But these things happen and given enough support she will move on. As such, Trivino will now endure lost friends, glory, and alienation as well as a permanently damaged career with his now glowing criminal record (see: Islander’s response). Certainly he deserves this, that’s why I’m 100% behind the Brighton court ruling.

However, it seems like BU is more interested in lynching him. To them, I recommend looking at the crime and remaining impartial in their judgement.

FYI, Trivino will likely still go to the NHL. “Defense attorney Conrad Bletzer told the judge Trivino’s “agents” expect to land him an NHL contract by month’s end, either with the Islanders or another club. A spokesman for the Islanders did not respond yesterday to a request for comment on Trivino’s status, but a personnel director for an NHL team cited several players who dealt with legal issues and then still got the chance to play.” according to the Herald: http://bostonherald.com/sports/hockey/other_nhl/view/20220808nhl_career_eyed_after_guilty_plea_in_assault_at_bu

Sharon, he didn’t rape her and had his career perhaps permanently ruined. You believe that he should be further punished? Would reducing him to nothing for the rest of his life so that he is more likely to do something like this again really be the best thing for society?
I think this punishment is fair.

Having his career permanently ruined was his own damned fault. It wasn’t a punishment- it was the consequence of his actions. That’s like saying, if you’re driving drunk and hit another car, your totaled car should be its own punishment. But we don’t do that–because it’s stupid. I don’t care that his career was ruined–his coach TOLD him to stop abusing alcohol, then he went and got drunk, and sexually assaulted an authority figure.

Also, where’s your evidence that putting a setback in the way of his hockey career will automatically turn him into a rape machine? Are you saying that we should not be punishing those who commit crimes, because they might get mad and do it again? What the hell kind of justice system is that?

and here is an important excerpt for those of you who have decided to victim-blame:

“According to a police report, Trivino groped her and forcibly kissed her. She ordered him to leave her room, and he did, but returned soon after and banged on her door. She opened the door and Trivino again pushed his way in and tried to kiss her, the victim told police. After being cornered, the victim said she pushed him away. Trivino left her room again, only to ­return a short time later.

The victim said that she opened the door again, feeling that she had to do so because she was the resident adviser. She said Trivino grabbed her arms tightly, then went to sit on her bed. Trivino took off his shoes, reclined on the bed, and told her he was going to sleep there overnight, she told police.

When Trivino overheard the victim call the resident director, he put his shoes back on and left the room.

Two Boston University ­police officers arrested Trivino as they responded to the case.”

It’s hard to find anything in this sordid case that doesn’t smell like manure.

The victim, who truly deserves the support of everyone, has had her life turned inside out. As she noted, she never asked for this to happen … this guy pushed his way into her room, wouldn’t leave when he was requested to do so and he physically groped her against her will. This is nightmarish to a young woman (I do have a daughter who’s nearly her age) and will likely rattle her constitution to it’s core. I’m sad for her and hope that she’ll be able to find peace in her life very soon … and at the same time, I’m also quite proud of her too for standing and delivering as she did in the courtroom – she did a great job and deserves to be proud of herself for doing the right thing!

As for the ‘boy’ (and use of that word is deliberate), he made a really stupid mistake in spite of all the better counseling he’d received from those closest to him (mostly the head coach) and wound up facing a very serious threat – that being the loss of his freedom as he basically broke the law! Now, he’ll need to pay the consequences – whatever that may entail, and move forward with the knowledge that he’s truly hurt another person, is likely going to be classified as a sexual predator for life, and that if he doesn’t bring his problem with alcohol under control that he’ll be in much greater trouble in the future … hockey really is secondary!

BU did the right thing by not dealing with the matter in house … it was really a matter best pursued in the courts, and the decision to form a task force was spot on.